Child Abuse Is Not Mild Abuse

Child abuse is wrong. It is harmful. It is dangerous. It is cruel. It needs to be stopped. Almost 5 children die each day from being abused and over ¾ of those children are under the age of four (childhelp.org). Do you believe that a four year old child can do something so bad they deserve to get abused for it? A report of child abuse is made every ten seconds. This is not a small issue.

Abusing a child is like handing them a terrible future. Accordingchildhelp.orgg, 60% of people in rehab were abused as children. 25% of abused children are more likely to experience teen pregnancy. 30% end up abusing their own children. This action is passed down through families experiencing problems with their children. It will continue being passed down through generations without consequences.

Many people believe that physical abuse is the only type of child abuse. Children can also be sexually abused, emotionally abuse, neglected, etc. “While physical abuse is the most visible sign, “ says helpguide.org “other types of abuse, such as emotional abuse or child neglect, also leave deep, long lasting scars.” Even the most average looking families could be abusing their children behind closed doors. The signs of child abuse are not always obvious.

Punishing children is necessary. Abusing children is not necessary. Lots of parents harm their children in an attempt to discipline them. Of course, any parent would want their child to grow up to have a successful life, but violence will not lead them to that life. Hitting children can only make their lives worse.

Abuse is not the only solution to a misbehaved child. You can ground your kids, take something away from them, or give them a time out. Calmer versions of discipline are much more effective. Kids watch what their parents do. Screaming and being violent with a child will show them that kind of behavior is acceptable, when it’s not. It’s better to be patient and understanding, rather than intense and wild.

Some parents claim that they abuse their children out of frustration and stress, but that is no excuse. An adult’s temper shouldn’t be compared to a child’s temper. A grown adult should have the ability to handle their anger, and that anger should not be propelled towards a child. Taking out your stress on a kid is simply unfair. If they have nothing to do with the frustration, they shouldn’t be punished for it.

Say your baby receives a new pack of crayons and decides to make a piece or artwork on the wall. Instead of punishing the child right away, you should explain why what they did is wrong, and then clarify the consequences if it happens again. All children make mistakes. You need to make mistakes first before you can learn from them, right? It isn’t fair for a child to be expected to know things they’ve never experienced before.

Child Maltreatment reports that 702,000 children were victims of child abuse in 2009. If nothing is done to prevent it, this number will continue to go up. Children are the future, and if so many of them are abused, the future itself will be abused. All children have the potential to grow up to be doctors, lawyers, teachers, even president! Child abuse should not be an obstacle in a child’s life. Their chances to achieve shouldn’t be minimized because of a bad childhood. Every child deserves to receive equal opportunities for success, and if child abuse is prevented, each child can have that chance.

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